The Indian team is expected to take part in the series that begins in Colombo on Tuesday.

Government spokesperson Dayasiri Jayasekara said: “At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots to other parts of the country.”

“It was also decided to take stern action against people who are instigating violence through Facebook,” he added.

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BCCI, richest board in the world, fails to pay player salary for two seasons

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – the richest cricket board in the world – has failed to pay its domestic cricketers for two full seasons, the Indian Express has reported.

The BCCI has single-handedly transformed the sport into a multi-billion dollar industry and spawned a multitude of T20 tournaments in every corner of the world. However, it has failed to discharge its basic function of paying its players on time, mainly due to an ongoing turf war with the court-appointed Committee of Administrators overseeing the functioning of the board.

According to the report, most players in domestic cricket have received payments from their state units but still await the main portion of their income – share of 10.6 per cent of the BCCI’s total revenue.

The relation between members of the board and the COA has broken down dramatically and it’s the players, especially those without IPL or senior contracts, who are suffering. The report says associations are waiting for the disbursement of funds after the board holds its general body meeting.

On an average, a cricketer who plays in first-class and one-day tournaments at the domestic level earns around rupees 1.2 to 1.5 million (Dh85,000) per annum.

Clubs

Captain Rohit Sharma on Monday said that India were not the favourites to win the Nidahas Trophy T20 tri-series. The tournament which starts on Tuesday, also features hosts Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The stand-in captain said that the Indians, without many star names who have been rested, don’t have the upper hand as the shortest format of the game is unpredictable.

“We won’t label ourselves as favourites. The T20 format is unpredictable and you have got to be on the money at all times. Both our oppositions are strong and we look forward to a good contest,” Rohit said ahead of the series opener against Sri Lanka.

A number of senior players are missing from India’s 15-member squad. Captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav have all been given a rest following a long tour of South Africa.

While Rohit will lead the side, Shikhar Dhawan has been named his deputy. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who has featured in two T20s, and rookie quick Mohammed Siraj, have been given an opportunity. Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar will fight it out for the spinning all-rounder’s spot.

The tournament is being held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence.

Matches will be played under lights at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The tournament follows a round-robin format with all the three teams playing each other twice with the top two moving to the final on March 18.